


Along the Road to Redemption

by A Magiluna Stormwriter (ariestess)



Series: Redemption of a Heart [5]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Community: onceuponaland, F/F, Female Characters, Female Homosexuality, Female Protagonist, Female Relationships, LGBTQ Female Character, POV Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-28
Updated: 2013-10-29
Packaged: 2017-12-30 20:14:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1022918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariestess/pseuds/A%20Magiluna%20Stormwriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>More moments in Regina's life as she journeys toward the redemption that Danielle, Emma, and Henry offer her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part I. 10 Themes

**Author's Note:**

> Pairing: Regina/Emma, Regina/Danielle  
> Date Written: 26 & 28 October 2013  
> Word Count: 6479  
> Written for: [](http://onceuponaland.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://onceuponaland.livejournal.com/)**onceuponaland** 's Round 6 challenge, "20 in 20"  
> Summary: More moments in Regina's life as she journeys toward the redemption that Danielle, Emma, and Henry offer her.  
> Series: Redemption of a Heart  
> Spoilers: This is an AU series, but there are spoilers through episode 02x10 "The Cricket Game".  
> Warnings: There are mentions of spousal abuse and child abuse.  
> Website: ShatterStorm Productions – Doggie Duo  
> Link to: <http://bdkk.shatterstorm.net/>  
> Archive: ShatterStorm Productions & AO3 only…all others ask for permission & we'll see…  
> Feedback: Constructive criticism is always welcome.
> 
> Author’s Disclaimer: "Once Upon a Time," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis, Kitsis/Horowitz, and ABC Studios. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "Once Upon a Time," ABC, or any representatives of the actors.
> 
> Author’s Notes: This has been a long time coming. I've needed to get back into this universe like nobody's business. Thankfully this challenge allowed me that opportunity. The only piece in this that might not become verified canon for this universe is the fifth stage story in the "Life Stages" section. And that's only because it's in the future. I actually sat down and reread everything I have in this universe before I started writing these ficlets. It reminded me of so many ideas I had to work with. And now I've started on some of them.
> 
> Dedication: My muses, for being such patient bitches.
> 
> Beta: I'll have my beta look it over soon. For now, all mistakes are entirely my own.

**i. Blue -- Regina/Danielle, Regina/Emma, Regina & Henry**

She thought it was a nice enough color until Danielle commented on how it had been her favorite color to wear as a princess. From that point on, Regina did her best to make sure she always wore something blue whenever she might run into her lover.

After Danielle died, she only wore the color when Leopold demanded it of her. She swore he took a perverse glee in watching her fight tears at those times. He'd been a sadistic bastard from the moment he realized how pathetic and useless she was to him.

When Henry came into her life, she learned to love the color again. She would dress him in all shades of blues and browns, reminiscent of the colors she and Danielle had worn so often. Thankfully, he looked good in so many shades of both, as well as her beloved reds and blacks. But the blues were her personal favorites on him, as she always liked to pretend he could have been the child she and Danielle raised together.

It wasn't until Emma came to Storybrooke that she really understood the allure of blue jeans. Yes, Ruby wore them as part of her cursed life, and filled them in nicely, but she couldn't hold a candle to Emma's skinny jeans. It didn't even matter what color they were, but she did rather like the blue ones when paired with that red leather jacket, especially if the jeans were fading and starting to look worn and comfortable. The blue version was always better against stark, new black jeans.

**ii. Royalty -- Regina & Henry**

"Mom?" Henry's voice is soft. "Are you awake?"

Regina blinks and yawns, smiling at him in the doorway. "I am now. What can I do for you, Henry?"

He fidgets for a moment, glancing back down the hallway. "I didn't wake you up, did I? Emma'll kill me if I did. She told me…" He trails off into a sigh, head dropping.

"It's all right, sweetheart. I was just lying here, resting and thinking about the baby. Come join me?"

Without hesitation, Henry comes into the room, climbing up under the covers to mold his body into her side. His head settles over her heart, left hand resting on the tiny baby bump that represents his little brother or sister to come. Silence settles over them for several moments, and she

"Mom? If you're a queen, and Emma's a princess, does that make the baby a prince or princess?"

She smiles and kisses the top of his head. "Just as much as it makes you a prince, though the claims are more validated through Emma and your grandparents. You are third in line for the throne if they should ever choose to reinstate the monarchy, and the baby will be fourth in line until _you_ have children."

"Mom! I'm only eleven." The disgusted pout on his face is adorable. "Please don't start marrying me off and creating grandchildren yet. I don't even _like_ any girls yet." Then his expression turns mischievous, and she can see his birth mother clearly in his face. "Or any boys, for that matter."

**iii. Place -- Regina/Emma**

"Do you ever miss it?"

The question takes her by surprise. Given the way Emma had described the Enchanted Forest in the aftermath of the curse, she's not sure where the question is coming from. And then Emma's hand settles on her stomach and Regina understands finally.

"Occasionally, I will have a pang for the meadows where Dark Secret and I grew up together, where Danielle and I fell in love. I wish I could show them to you and Henry, just so you'd understand what it was like, but when I cast the curse, I had no desire to ever return to that land again. By that time, there were far too many negative connotations that outweighed the good." She leans up to press a kiss to Emma's lips. "Our lives, our family, are here, Emma, and there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

Emma smiles and strokes Regina's cheek. "Perhaps there's a way you can do that. I've got an idea brewing in the brain pan. Let me give it a little more time before I share, okay?"

Regina nods. "I trust you, my love."

**iv. Badass -- Henry & Emma**

"So Grandpa fought the guards with his sword while he was carrying you in his arms, right? To save you and everyone he knew and loved?"

Emma looks up from the deep contemplation of her cup of coffee. He could see the dark circles under her eyes and knew his birth mother needed to sleep soon. He also knew she wouldn't do it until she knew that his adoptive mother and the baby were okay. The slip down the stairs had terrified them all.

"That's the way he and Regina tell it," Emma replies slowly. "But you know that, Henry, because it's in your book."

"And then you fought Maleficent as a dragon with that same sword, right? So that you could get the True Love potion to save me and everyone you loved here in town?"

She nods slowly, eyebrows knitting together in exhausted confusion.

"So does that mean that I'll be using it to save someone I love when I'm your age?"

The smile that spreads across her face is the first genuine one he's seen since Regina's fall. "Well, you're a Charming, right? So I guess that means the badass genes aren't just from your grandmother."

**v. Heartbreak -- Regina & Charming**

The minute the portal had closed behind them, Charming sprawled inelegantly on the floor, Regina felt a pain like she hadn't felt since watching Danielle fall to the stable floor, her heart clutched in Cora's gloved fist. She knew, better than anyone else, that the world Emma and Snow had fallen into was no longer viable for life. She'd made damned sure to do the magical equivalent of razing the place and salting the earth behind her as she cast the Dark Curse. And now the one person she loved more than anyone else in this land was gone forever. How in the hell would she possibly break the news to Henry?

**vi. Family -- Regina, Emma, Danielle, Henry, & Snow**

Regina has been sleeping so much since the accident. Truth be told, she's been sleeping a lot since finding out she was pregnant, probably even before that point. The aftermath of rescuing Emma and Snow from that well is still a blur for her, despite Emma and Henry repeatedly recounting what had happened. She still can't believe she survived taking in that much tainted fairy dust. There are still days she can feel the aftereffects strongly. Those are the days she sleeps the most. Well, when she's not convulsing in pain or puking up her guts. Those are also the days when Emma hands off running the station to her father and Ruby, then calls Henry out sick from school. The two of them spend the entire day in bed with her, bracketing her in between their sturdier bodies. It's hard on Emma because Danielle wants equal face time to try to help Regina, but somehow they've managed to find a way to come to an equitable arrangement in those situations.

The first time it happens, Henry is already celebrating a day off from school, but Emma leaves early to go to the station. He tries to call her when Regina starts sweating and shaking, but she's not answering her phone for some reason, so he calls the next person that comes to mind: his grandmother. Snow arrives quickly, on the phone with Charming, who promises to send Emma home immediately when he gets in touch with her. Snow is the one who teaches Henry how to hold Regina and soothe her through the minor convulsions, explaining that Regina had once done it for her when she was incredibly sick as a child. Without realizing she's doing it, Regina turns and curls into Snow's side, clinging like a desperate child as she whimpers through the shuddering pain. Snow keeps her composure and helps mother and son as much as she can until Emma finally comes home, only the glimmer of tears in her eyes indicating how much this whole situation bothers her.

Three days later, when she knows that Regina has recovered, Snow shows up at the mansion requesting a parlay for peace between them for both Emma's and Henry's sakes. The two women sit down over glasses of cider and begin negotiations that take the entire day and well into the night, but when Snow finally leaves, they agree to work together to build peace for the sake of their family.

**vii. Water -- Regina & Henry, Regina/Emma**

One of the greatest influences on Regina to stay in this land is the combination of hot water heaters and indoor plumbing. The list is much longer, of course, but the knowledge that she can take a bath or shower in scalding hot water at the drop of a hat is nearly orgasmic. This was particularly true in the early years of the curse. Back when all she had was a growing hollow ache in her chest at the loss of anyone to share her life with. Back when watching Snow suffering in blissful ignorance while her beloved Charming hovered near death every single day. Back when she should have been happier than ever in her life because she was getting her happy ending at the cost of all those idiotic peasants she'd cursed.

But rather than dwell on the fact that she didn't get the satisfaction out of the curse that she'd expected, she chose to indulge in any and all creature comforts she could to while away the long, lonely years. She became a consummate connoisseur of all things relating to the tub and shower. The sheer amounts of money she spent on items with which to pamper herself in the bath were astronomical, but didn't matter because the curse allowed her the opportunity to a practically limitless bank account.

When Henry came into her life, she learned the joys of bath time with her son. She'd tried the little baby baths that were recommended in the baby books she consulted, but neither of them had liked it. It didn't surprise her at all that her adopted son craved physical contact as much as she did. It became a nightly ritual to fill the tub and enhance the water with oils that soothed them both -- lavender and rosemary was a particularly favorite blend when he was just a baby -- and soak until they both became quite wrinkled and sleepy. She'd then take the time to dry him with the softest towels she could find, dress him in warm little pajamas, and curl up with him in the bed that was too large without him. There were nights that he slept in his own nursery, allowing her more adult creature comforts with Graham, but more often than not, Henry was her partner in slumber.

When Henry was about two or three, she introduced him to bubble bath and tub crayons. Bath time was still fun for them, but it didn't quite have the same end result for Regina. As Henry grew more independent, she was more often found watching him from her seat on the toilet. When he turned five and started school, he'd told her that big boys didn't need their mommies when they took baths. She accepted this show of maturity, but sat in the hallway outside the bathroom, ears straining to hear the slightest hint of need from her son.

Emma's addition into their lives has given her a whole new appreciation of her nightly bathing ritual. Most nights, Emma allows her the solitude and sanctuary that her baths have given her, content to share a shower beforehand. Some nights, those showers heat her up more than just the water itself, and she'll forego her bath to continue their bonding in the bedroom. Other nights, she crawls into bed after her long soak, molding her body to Emma's side, content to share her body heat with her love.

**viii. Love -- Regina/Emma**

"It's never been easy for me," she says with a great deal of hesitation in her voice. "Allowing love in my life, I mean."

Regina grimaces at the reminder of the curse she cast, separating Emma from her parents for so very long. She's heard bits and pieces of Emma's childhood, growing up in this land and its foster care system. Never once has it been easy to listen to. Not even in the early days of Emma's presence in Storybrooke, back when Regina chose hatred over its flipside emotion when dealing with the blonde. But she's always listened and taken every word to heart, even when she feigned disdain and boredom.

A light tug at her hand pulls Regina from her thoughts, and she glances up to see that tentative smile on Emma's face. "I'm still here, love." Without thought, she squeezes her lover's hand and leans in for a gentle kiss. It calms them both almost instantly, something that she will never cease being amazed by. "I just got--"

"Distracted by the past?" Emma completes the thought for her with a knowing look. She looks almost relieved when Regina nods. "You know, I wasn't trying to make you feel bad by saying that. I was just trying to… Well, you see, it's like… Ugh! I hate that I'm not as eloquent with words as you are."

"Shh," comes the reply as a single finger presses against soft pink-tinted lips. "You know that we don't have any secrets to keep from each other any longer. You can tell me anything, Emma, without fear of reprisals. That's what comes of-- Of what we have."

Emma's smile grows wide at that, eternally amused -- and utterly charmed -- by the fact that Regina still has some issues in saying that one word: the word that speaks volumes about so many aspects of their lives, good and bad; the word that trips off Regina's tongue as an endearment, but still often sticks when used to describe how she feels for the woman who has been with her in some way for so very long.

"I love you, Regina, and I will be eternally in your debt for making love something I can have in my life," Emma finally says before leaning in to seal her vow with another kiss.

**ix. Deception -- Emma & Henry**

Henry scrunches up his face as he stares at Emma. "But I thought we weren't supposed to? You both keep telling me that it's not nice, and then you punish me."

"If anyone gets punished this time, kid, it'll be me."

Emma smiles broadly at him and ruffles his hair. Part of her likes it shaggier like this, but she also wants to be able to see his eyes, and that's getting harder with time. Plus, she's having that weird need to do the whole "baby's first haircut" thing, despite the fact that her baby is eleven years old and getting too damned tall already.

"Are you sure?"

"Totally sure, kid. I swear to god, if your mom tries to punish you for Operation Naked Day, I will--"

"Ew! Do we _have_ to call it that?" His face twists in disgust this time, making Emma laugh and pull him into a hug. "Emma! I'm serious! It's gross!"

"It's not gross, Henry, and I've explained _why_ we're using it. Everyone is naked when they're born, and we're celebrating your mom's birthday."

"Even though she _told_ us not to make a big deal of it? Seriously, Emma, she's _never_ really liked to celebrate her birthday."

Emma smirks, eyes twinkling mischievously. "And I already told you that she'll _totally_ like what we're going to do, kid. Trust me. I think I've figured out your mom's very unique form of Morse code when she wants something but can't find a way to say it."

"Okay, but if she tries anything…"

"I'll _totally_ go to bat for you and make sure you don't get any punishment for lying and going behind her back like this. I swear it on my love for you and your mom."

Henry grins at that. For someone who can read people, Emma certainly didn't get that her own son just played her by getting her to admit again just how much she loves her family.

**x. Team -- Regina/Emma**

Regina hesitates outside the door to Granny's Diner. She knows she's been invited to this party, but it still feels odd. While Charming knows of her relationship with Emma, because he and Henry kind of ambushed her after Emma and Snow had disappeared in the portal, she's not sure if Snow knows or what the younger woman thinks of it. There's been so much animosity between them over the years, decades. Can it even be possible to get past that now for Emma's sake and Henry's?

A memory of them leaving after she saved them from the well, brought them back from the hell that the Enchanted Forest had become, springs to mind and steals the breath from her lungs. For a long moment, too long perhaps, she is frozen in place, fighting for the oxygen her body craves. When she feels the casserole dish slip from her numb fingers, her lungs allow the tiniest intake of air.

"Gina?" That familiar voice sounds far away, like she's lost in a tunnel. "Kid, take the lasagna inside. We'll be there in a minute. No, she's okay. I promise."

Muffled words that she can't quite make out, in a voice that sound vaguely like Henry's, trail off then before silence falls again. An arm wraps around her waist, a warm hand cupping her cheek. She knows her eyes are open because she can feel the breeze on her damp lashes, but her vision is utterly dark. The familiar earthy scents that belong to both Emma and Danielle surround her, bringing tears to her eyes.

"Hey, Gina? Baby, what's wrong? What happened to upset you so?"

Those soft words break the bonds around Regina's lungs, allowing her the opportunity to suck in a great gasp of air. It's let out on a choked sob, and she buries her face in Emma's neck. Strong arms hold her up, smoothing down the length of her back.

"S-sorry, Emma," she finally whispers. "I didn't know if I was welcome to this party. They don't--"

"What they think doesn't matter to me. _I_ invited you to this party. Henry and I want you here. Screw what anyone else thinks. And if they cause trouble for you, the three of us will leave. I don't care if I'm one of the guests of honor. You, me, and Henry, we're a family. If we're not all invited and welcomed, none of us stays. End of story."


	2. Part 2. Life Changes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  ** _Warning_** _: mentions of spousal abuse & rape in the second part of this chapter_

**a. Daughter -- Regina & Cora**

"Why are you doing this to me, Regina?"

She winces at the sharp tone, not that it's anything she hasn't heard before, but it feels different this time. She holds completely still, resisting the urge to bury her face in Secret's neck, curry comb still held in the air just a hair's breadth above the stallion's withers. Even he seems to freeze at her mother's voice.

"Answer me, Regina. Why must you waste your time in this stable when you should be learning how to be a proper lady and wife. You were bred for better than this."

"I'm sorry, Mama," she finally says, turning to face her. "I was just finishing up with Secret. My lesson with Daniel went longer than planned because Daddy brought his friend, the duke, to watch us. The duke was quite impressed, or so Daddy said."

Cora rolls her eyes. "Yes, so he told me. But the duke is staying for dinner, and you need to come in and show your manners and good graces. The duke has the king's ear, and a good impression can only mean a good marriage for you. Don't you want to fulfill the destiny you were born to?"

_No._

"Yes, Mama." Regina hands off the comb to Daniel, who suddenly appears at her side with an encouraging smile, then follows her mother toward the manor.

**b. Wife -- Regina/Danielle, Regina/Leopold  
 _Warning_** _: mentions of spousal abuse & rape_

In the wee hours of the night, Regina lies in her bed in the palace, waiting in terror for Leopold to show up and demand his husbandly dues. She's never enjoyed this act with him. He's never made it so that she _could_ enjoy it, always taking what he wants from her without a care to her safety or desires. He's always drunk and never allows her any sort of sense of being cherished as a wife should be. But she knows that he doesn't love her, not like Danielle loved her. No one will ever love her like Danielle did.

The first time Leopold came to her bed was the night of their wedding. He could barely stand up and nearly suffocated her when he fell forward onto her to rut roughly and painfully. She closed her eyes and let her mind drift off to the times when she and Danielle had made love. That handful of sweet stolen moments has sustained her throughout her sham of a marriage. Well, then there was that one night of passion after Danielle's attempt at a love spell. That night, and the seemingly endless rounds of lovemaking, allow Regina to separate herself from the violent bastard who never fails to leave her bruised and bleeding after spilling his seed in her with a tortured groan of his first wife's name.

**c. Widow -- Regina/Danielle, Regina/Leopold**

When the genie comes to her with his news of Leopold's brutal, violent death at the fangs of the Agrabahn vipers, Regina is initially dumbstruck that she's finally gotten what she wanted out of the sadistic bastard. Unlike when Danielle died, Regina only puts on the face of the dutifully mourning wife for Snow and the rest of the court. Internally, she is dancing happily with Danielle's ghost, planning to do the same on the bastard's grave if she's given the chance. Most likely, he'll be buried in that damnable family crypt, next to the wife he's never gotten over.

Not that she can blame him for that. Her love for Danielle has never once wavered since her mother killed her first husband. Because she will always view Danielle as her first and only _true_ husband. Danielle had given her the ring, exchanged vows with her before the gods in the stables that night. That was just as valid a wedding as the farce her mother and Leopold forced her to undergo in the castle's chapel.

Now she's a widow twice over. Her public mourning as Leopold's wife is spurred by her private mourning for Danielle. She can finally shed the tears her mother never allowed her to before. But that feigned grief is only for appearances, to look good for the king's subjects. Now they're _her_ subjects until Snow is old enough to assume the throne. If Regina has her way, that day will never happen.

**d. Mother -- Regina & Henry**

When the imp closes the door behind himself, Regina lets out a pent-up breath. She never feels comfortable around him, even if he doesn't have any clue about their past connections before she cast the curse. Even as the antiquities dealer he is here, she feels the repulsive darkness roiling off him like toxic ooze.

A soft sneeze brings her out of those dark thoughts and she glances down at the tiny person in her arms. There are wisps of pale brown hair peeking out from under the edge of the blue blanket with green and yellow accents, so reminiscent of Danielle's hair that tears spring unbidden to her eyes. His skin is so pale and she finds herself captivated by the long lashes against his cheeks. He sneezes again, this time following it up with a squeaky yawn. When those lashes flutter open and deep blue, guileless eyes stare up at her, she feels the shackles around her heart begin to fall away, replaced by a deep and overwhelming love she's only ever felt for one other person in her entire life.

"Hello, Henry," she says softly, moving up the stairs with the small diaper bag bumping awkwardly against her hip. She struggles briefly to open her bedroom door while still holding onto her precious cargo, but finally manages. "Welcome home, my beautiful son."

**e. Grandmother -- Regina/Emma, Henry**

"Hey you." Emma's voice comes from behind her just as she recognizes the scent of coffee. "Any word yet?"

Regina shakes her head as she accepts the cup from her beloved husband. When they'd married, Emma had insisted that Regina consider her a husband, just as she'd done with Danielle. The whole shared soul aspect of their lives made it so very easy to do it, too. That, and Danielle's express blessing of the idea.

"Not yet. Is it supposed to take this long? Did it take this long when you had Henry?"

Emma chuckles and presses a tender kiss to Regina's temple. "Have you forgotten your own long hours of labor, baby?"

"That was different." Regina pouts and sips at her coffee. "I did that at home, with you and Henry right there with me the whole time. And Eugenia proved a wonderful midwife, as you may well remember."

"That's very true."

Regina stares at the door down the corridor, frowning. "Why won't he tell us anything? Why won't they let us in the room?"

Before Emma can say anything, Henry comes out of the very door they've both been staring at for so long. He looks absolutely exhausted, but happy. That can only mean good news. He motions them closer, and both women set aside their barely-touched cups of coffee to move toward him. He hugs each of them tightly, almost clinging to them for a brief moment.

"Close your eyes," he says softly in that baritone that reminds Regina that her baby is no longer a baby. When they do, he guides them into the room. "Stay here and don't open your eyes yet."

Regina can hear him walk away from them, the other sounds in the room a background hum as Emma grips her hand tightly. She tries to breathe deeply and evenly, but can feel the tears constricting her lungs. And then Henry's oh so familiar footfalls come closer again, modified slightly as he shuffles across the floor.

"Okay, open your eyes."

As one, Regina and Emma open their eyes to see the tiny bundle in Henry's arms. Neither can speak, only staring at the baby yawning in the patchwork quilt Regina had painstakingly sewn together by hand over the last several months.

"Mom, Emma, I'd like you to meet Odette Pommier Mills. Princess, these are your grandmothers, Regina and Emma."

Tears fill Regina eyes as she translates the name of her granddaughter. "Oh Henry…"

He grins sheepishly, hair falling forward into his eyes, just like when he was a child, and sets the baby in Regina's arms. "We talked long and hard about her name and we wanted to honor the two of you, so this is how it came out. We almost did something different for her first name, but her middle name was a given, would have been the same if she'd been a boy, too."

Emma reaches out to touch the pale brown hair and clears her throat. "What does it mean?"

"Swan apple tree. Swans mate for life, like you two, and that dam-- _darned_ tree has been a part of your relationship practically from the start."

Emma pulls her son into a tight embrace, not bothering to fight her own tears. "When the he-- _heck_ did you get to be so smart, Henry?"

"Just learned it from the two best people I know, who will be the best grandmothers in all the lands."


	3. Part III. Author's Choice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Each of these prompts were given to me by people on Twitter. They are all listed with their ficlets.

**1\. Lust -- Regina/Emma**  
Prompted by ViaRProxy on Twitter

It never ceases to surprise her that Emma still brings this out so easily without even trying. All she has to do is don those painted-on, worn skinny jeans; the worn workboots; the ubiquitous thin, white tank top, and that poor red leather jacket. Just the sound of those boots on the hardwood floor of the foyer is enough to set Regina's heart racing in her chest. The slightest glance of those lovely loose curls hanging down to the middle of her back takes Regina's breath away. But the mockingly shy smile on lips shiny with gloss and the residue from her tongue swiping across them is enough to make Regina's panties dampen so quickly, it terrifies her. That Emma will stand there, thumbs thrust into her back pockets, and stare at Regina through her lashes sends an electric jolt down the brunette's spine to pool, hot and wet, between her thighs.

**2\. Moonshine -- Regina/Emma**  
Prompted by sassyismassey on Twitter

"You know, you should be careful with this stuff."

Regina glances up from checking on the status of the latest batch of this year's cider. She gladly accepting the welcoming kiss that Emma bestows on her lips, then smiles at the sight of the uniform still forming so well to the body she knows like her own. "Well, hello there, Sheriff Swan. To what do I owe this impromptu visit at" -- she glances at her watch -- "two in the afternoon?"

"What? I can't come see the woman I love on a boring Saturday afternoon while I'm doing my rounds of this sleepy town we call home?"

Regina turns to wrap her arms around Emma's neck, taking advantage of the chance to give her a much more appropriate kiss of greeting. She sighs happily as Emma's hands rest on her hips, the warmth transferring to her own skin through her pants.

"I never said that. I like it when you stop in for a visit." She grins and tangles her fingers into the hair at the nape of Emma's neck.

"Good. I like surprising you with these little visits." Emma glances over her shoulder and chuckles. "Gina, you should be glad that I'm not here in my official capacity as Sheriff of Storybrooke."

Regina frowns in confusion, leaning back to study her lover's mercurial green eyes. "And why is that?"

Emma motions behind her to the cider preparation area. "Because you've technically got your own still going here. You realize that, right?"

Exasperation has brown eyes rolling. "No, I don't. My cider is not some backwoods bathtub hooch that could blind or kill someone. I'll have you know that this recipe has been perfected over several decades of trial and error. It's also one of the things you adore about me, so if you know what's good for you, Sheriff, you'll look the other way. Especially if you ever want to get laid again."

**3\. Trouble -- Regina/Emma, Henry**  
Prompted by Swan_Swagg on Twitter

It starts out simply enough. Henry wants to do something special for his moms. It's supposed to be just a small affair. He's saved up his allowances for the last two months and made deals with Granny and Ruby to basically buy out the diner for the night, in addition to Granny helping him make this really fancy meal that he saw on TV. He's going to be working that off by doing odd chores for the Lucases for the next three months at least, but it's worth it. His moms totally deserve this special night after everything they've gone through.

He's even going to spend the night with his grandparents. They love when he stays with them, and the promise of a special dinner for them, too, sweetens the deal. Thankfully, that meal is mostly made by Ruby while he and Granny make the meal for his moms. Granny and Ruby smile knowingly as Henry goes on about making sure that the meal is perfect because his moms have seemed so distracted and frustrated lately. When he catches a deep chuckle from Ruby, followed by Granny scowling and threatening her with a rolling pin, he realizes that his moms are trying to do things that he just doesn't even want to _ever_ think about with respect to the two women that mean so much to him.

So when his moms show up at his grandparents' loft only forty-five minutes after their special meal date has started, he worries that he's in big trouble for this. He hopes that Granny and Ruby haven't spilled the beans on just how expensive this night was. But the door is barely opened when his mom races into the bathroom, door slamming shut behind her.

Henry catches the curiously knowing look between his grandparents as they glance between Emma and the bathroom. He's not sure what it means, or if he wants to find out. When his mom finally comes out, looking very pale, he goes up to his room, Emma's old room, and grabs his stuff, announcing that he'll go home with his moms, that he wants to help take care of Regina. No one fights him on that. Regina doesn't even fight when his grandfather offers to help her out to the car. Snow kisses both Henry and Emma's cheeks, making Henry promise to call her with updates on Regina. They both know that Emma's not paying any attention as her eyes follow Regina out the door.

**4\. Frustration -- Regina/Emma**  
Prompted by Evil_Has_Spoken on Twitter

"I'm tired of being in bed!"

Emma bites back a sigh as she comes into the bedroom with a bottle of 7Up, a bowl chicken noodle soup, and a sleeve of Saltines on a tray. She sets the tray down to straddle Regina's lap, being careful of the slight bump of her baby belly.

"I know you are, babe," she replies evenly and moves to sit next to Regina. "Doctor Whale said it's just for a few days to make sure everything's okay with you and the baby."

"He's a quack and a necrophile. What in the hell does he know about _living_ patients? And pregnant ones at that?"

Emma leans over to press a gentle kiss to Regina's lips in an attempt to stop the latest round of her bedridden ranting. The touch leeches much of her lover's rage and distress, but not all of it. Regina sighs softly and rests her head on Emma's shoulder, picking up her spoon to stir it in the soup listlessly.

"I can't even _enjoy_ my time in bed with you," she mutters, free hand covering the swell of her stomach. "I've read so much, my eyes feel like they'll bleed at the sight of another book. There's nothing decent on television that won't rot my brain."

"Shh," Emma replies, kissing Regina's temple. "It's just for a little while longer, babe. We go to see Whale tomorrow, and I've got faith that he'll say everything's okay. Besides, isn't it better to be stuck in bed and still have the baby on the way?"

Regina swallows thickly at that, remembering the scare they'd had three days ago when she tripped down the stairs and fell to the upper landing. The fall had knocked her unconscious, so she didn't remember the frantic trip to the hospital, and she'd only heard after the fact about Emma's lack of sleep while waiting to learn the fate of both mother and unborn child.

"You're right," she replies softly and takes a spoonful of soup. "This baby's worth any frustration that bedrest might give me." She smiles and kisses Emma gently. "I love you, Emma. You and our children."

"I love you, too, babe, all three of you."

**5\. Interruption -- Regina/Emma**  
Prompted by LucretiaMacbeth on Twitter

"Oh fuck, Gina!" Emma groans, back arching as Regina sharply tugs on the nipple caught between her teeth. "Don't sto-- Fuck!"

Regina grins against the sweat-slicked breast, fingers twisting deep within her lover's clenching muscles to drag across her g-spot. She feels the gush of arousal coating her hand and the sheets beneath them, knowing just how close Emma really is, and revels in the sense of pride and superiority at how easily she can turn her lover on.

This random insatiability has been one of the better side effects of being pregnant. Emma never knows when it will hit, or if it means Regina wants to be worn out or do the wearing out herself. Both have learned to take the opportunities when they arise, as pregnancy hormones are fickle bitches.

"Mom?"

The sound of Henry's voice cuts through the lusty power trip Regina's on instantly. She eases her fingers from Emma and leans up to growl against her lover's lips, "Stay here and don't you dare move. Let me see what's wrong with Henry."

Emma nods dumbly, body still quivering in need, the muscles in her arms straining against the cuffs securing her to the headboard. Regina crawls off the bed, a bit ungainly from the belly that has grown significantly now that she's in her sixth month, and slips on her robe. She opens the door, careful to shield Henry from seeing his other mother in such a compromising position.

"Henry? Is everything all right?"

"I, um--" He shifts uncomfortably from one foot to the other, blushing as he finally glances up at her from under his bangs. "I just wanted to let you know that Grandma and Grandpa are having me stay with them tonight. Grandpa picked us up from school and said you needed alone time, but I had to come get some clothes. I, um, didn't want you to freak out if you heard someone wandering around the house."

Regina flushes hotly at the thought of her de facto in-laws being in the house while she's utterly debauching their daughter. It's bad enough that Henry's here. She clears her throat and nods. "Th-thank you for letting me know. Have a good night with your grandparents. Um, go ahead and grab twenty dollars out of my purse and take your grandparents to dinner at Granny's on me, okay? As an apology?"

"Thanks, Mom," he says, running to his room. "Um, give me like five minutes, then you can--" He turns beet red again and races into his room.

Regina chuckles at his embarrassment, then turns around to lean against the door and study her lover. "Can you wait five more minutes, my love? Or will you die before I can touch you again?"

Emma's only reply is a tortured groan that revs up Regina's libido again.


End file.
